Secret Santa Cullen Style
by Mommy's Little Broadway Star
Summary: What happens when Carlisle and Esme try to get the kids into the holiday spirit? My first fanfic! Rated T just to be safe.
1. Secret Santa

BPOV

A week and a half before Christmas, Carlisle called everyone into the living room. Alice was grinning as she skipped in. Edward was trying to hold back a smile. Esme was practically beaming; clearly she was in on Carlisle's plan. He cleared his throat.

"Kids, we've decided to try something new this year. We're going to do Secret Santa!" He looked around. Alice was jumping up and down clapping. Emmett was grinning and Jasper looked... well... slightly amused. Rosalie looked exasperated, but that was nothing new. I peeked at Edward's face. He was smiling, looking down at me. I smiled back apprehensively.

When I looked back at Carlisle, he was writing everyone's names, I guess, on scraps of paper, folding them in half, and putting them in an expensive-looking, brand new hat.

"Edward," he said sternly, "this will be more fun if you could try to block everyone's thoughts." Edward nodded. "All right everybody, we're going to pick names." He went around and everyone picked a name. "_Esme"_, mine said. I folded the paper and stuck it in my pocket.

"Okay. So, starting Sunday and all the way through Christmas Eve, you will do something nice for your person. Just do something small, nothing over, say, $40. Now-" Alice screeched.

"What?!?!?!? You can't expect me to do something good for E- my person for $40!!!!!" She flew up to her room and we all flinched at the sound of her door slamming and then an odd _crunch_. Jasper sighed and followed her slowly.

"Now, I'll finish," Carlisle said tentatively. "On Christmas Day, you will have a big gift for your person. Of course, you may buy gifts for any or everyone else, but your main gift is to your person." I was only half listening at this point. When Alice went on her rant, she'd almost said a name. A name that started with an "E". Since I had Esme, I realized that she either had Emmett or Edward. Thinking of gift ideas for Esme, I walked up to Edward's room. I sat on his bed, deep in thought. I felt him sit down beside me and gently put his arm around my shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Gift ideas for... my person," I answered. I'd only thought of a few possible things, but not enough to get me through 8 days. I idly wondered who had me.

Watching the sun set and sitting in Edward's lap, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was lying in my bed next to Edward. It was still dark out and I was still dressed. I lazily pulled on pajamas while Edward brushed my hair. Slumping back into bed, I felt Edward's arms around me. Smiling, I fell back to sleep.


	2. Klutz

**A/N: Thank you sooooo much to those of you who read and reviewed my story! Enjoy chapter 2!**

When I woke up, I realized, with glee and horror, that it was Saturday. I worked my shift at Newtons'. It was pretty busy, so I couldn't imagine how busy it would be in a week.

Driving home was a nightmare. It was raining pretty hard, so it was really difficult to see. I went to the Cullens' house and was greeted by Alice in a plaid raincoat that matched her umbrella and boots.

When we got closer to the house, I could hear Edward finish a song on the piano. He greeted us at the door, and pulled me up into his arms. Kissing me, he flew up to his room and put me gently on his bed. I curled up in the gold comforter, my mind preoccupied.

"Um, Edward?" I asked quietly. "Do you have any paper in here?" He chuckled and reached up to a shelf and pulled down a small blue notebook. He handed it to me. "Um, might you have a pencil, too?" He smiled and pulled one out of a drawer next to the bed. I made a list.

_Stuff to do for Esme:_

_do laundry_

_clean bb uniforms_

_buy mew flowers_

_get pic. Of kids framed_

_take out trash_

_clean windows/glass wall_

_buy new lamp (replace broken one)_

_vacuum _

I hoped that that would be enough. I ripped out my list, folded to, and stuck it in my pocket.

Then, my stomach growled. Very loudly. Edward laughed quietly. I got up and shivered. Reaching back down to the bed, I grabbed the comforter/ I walked downstairs wrapped in it, inhaling Edward's scent. I could feel Edward's arm hovering right behind my waist in case I fell.

Being a klutz, I did fall. Unfortunately, Edward was half a second too late to keep me from tumbling down the remainder of the stairs. The comforter slipped off, so I had no protection. I landed with a _thud_ in a pair of big arms. Looking up and blushing, I saw Emmett grinning down at me.

I groaned and tried to get up. My head swam, and I fell back into Emmett's arms. He steadied me, laughing, and I felt a stab of pain in my left hand. By then, the rest of the family had gathered around me.

"Are you all right?" Edward asked frantically.

"Um, yeah, I think so." I stretched my arms and felt another stab of pain. I winced, and Edward pounced.

"You're not okay, Bella. People don't wince when they're okay." I huffed and rolled my eyes.

"Fine, my hand hurts and my head is a bit sore. Happy?" I snapped. Carlisle stepped towards me.

"Bella?" he asked quietly. "May I look at your hand?" I nodded and held out my left hand. He placed his cool hands on mine. Even with his gentle touch, I winced at the pain. Carlisle frowned.

"Bella, I need to x-ray your hand. Can you follow me, please?" He started up the stairs. Edward picked me up and followed his father. I saw a flash of gold on the stairs, and realized that it was the comforter. I blushed.

The x-ray machine was very intimidating. I didn't know you could even buy x-ray machines. I gawked at the thing. Edward chuckled as Carlisle pulled up a chair. He motioned for me to sit, and I did. Carlisle positioned my hand and started the machine. He covered me with a really heavy vest. I started to complain, but one look from Edward, and I shut up. Edward sat next to me and rubbed my back in methodic circles as Carlisle re-positioned my hand.

A few minutes later, Carlisle cleared his throat. "Well, it appears that you have broken your finger. It broke down in your palm, though, so it must be casted."

I groaned and dropped my head to the table. I realized a second too late what a stupid idea that was.


	3. Author's Note

**A/N: Hey, I'm really sorry that I haven't written anything in a while; life decided to blow up on me: finals and a new set of classes, and my robotics team had our season kick-off recently and we have meetings almost every night of the week. **

**I got really overly excited about posting, which is why I posted two chapters so quickly. From now on, I'm going to try to post about every week or so. Thank you all for your support!!!!!!!!!**


	4. Casts, Chips, and Surprises

**A/N: Hey, guys, thanks to all of you that have persuaded me to keep this story going!!! I love you all!!! Okay, I have no idea what happens when you have to get a cast- i broke my leg when I was little, but they didn't cast it, and I was only about 9 months old, so forgive me if I'm completely off in my telling of it.**

**I am a very bad girl- I forgot something in the first two chapters! So, here it is:**

_**Disclaimer- I do not, nor will I ever, own Twilight. Sadly.**_

"Dammit!!!" I yelped as I jerked my head up. My head, which already hurt, was now throbbing. I rubbed it with my non-broken hand. Carlisle jumped, and, if Edward was human, he would've had a heart attack.

"No, no, no, Edward, I'm okay, really," I insisted. Edward frowned and Carlisle shook his head.

"Bella," Carlisle started, "if you're hurt, you need to tell me so that I can help you." I frowned and rubbed my head.

"Don't worry about it, Carlisle," I said. "Can we just cast my hand and get this over with?" Carlisle looked at me apprehensively.

"Um, Bella, we have to go to the hospital for that. I'm not equipped to handle something like this here." I groaned.

"Great," I mumbled. "Now Charlie's gonna hear about this." Edward looked at me.

"Charlie's going to see your hand anyways. There isn't really a way to hide it, Bella." Sighing, I stood up.

"'Kay. Let's get this over with." I followed Carlisle and Edward down the stairs. Edward kept a firm grasp on my waist, like he was afraid that I would fall again. Carlisle went into the kitchen to get his cell phone as Edward and I went and got in Carlisle's car. Carlisle slid into the driver's seat, Edward sitting in the back with me. Carlisle drove almost as fast as Edward, which didn't really surprise me. I mean, all Cullens drive like that, right?

When we got to the hospital, Carlisle took me right up to a room. Casting my hand took a loooooong time, and Edward wasn't helping. He kept pacing around the room while Carlisle worked. No matter how much I protested and begged, he refused to sit. A couple of times, I winced when Carlisle had to position my hand. Even then, Edward wouldn't sit.

It took forever, but, finally, Carlisle was done. Sighing, I stood up and stretched. Edward walked over and gave me a long hug. Breaking away, he whispered in my ear.

"Ready to go, Bella?" I nodded, eager to leave the weird-smelling, too-bright building. I looked back towards Carlisle, who was cleaning up.

"Is there anything I can or need to do?" I asked, trying not to be rude. Carlisle chuckled quietly as Edward smiled.

"No, I'll be done in a minute. You two go down and get in the car. Er, um, Edward, you might want to get Bella something to eat before you go," he added. My stomach had conveniently growled while Carlisle was talking.

We left and Edward easily navigated us to the cafeteria. I got a bag of chips and a bottle of water while Edward watched with a disapproving grimace. I opened the chips as we made our way to the Mercedes. I was still munching on them when Carlisle came.

He drove home, and I finished my chips. I wouldn't look out the window for fear that the chips would end up on the expensive seats. So, instead, I concentrated on tracing every little detail I could find on Edward's hand.

By the time we got to the Cullens' house, my head hurt very little, only hurting if something was really loud, or if I touched it. Alice ran up to me as soon as we walked in the front door. Before I'd taken two steps into the house, the entire family, including Rosalie, was around me, Edward, and Carlisle.

Emmett pulled me into a hug so tight I literally couldn't breathe. I stumbled backwards, barely catching my breath before Alice had me in a tight hug. Esme gave me a quick hug. Rose surprised me. She gave me a quick hug, very brief, but still, for Rose, that really meant a lot. Jasper surprised me even more than Rose had.

**A/N: Okay, so there's chapter 3. I hope you liked it. Don't worry- I am getting back to the secret santa part, I just decided to throw this in because it's such a Bella thing to do!**


	5. Return Home

**A/N: I am super, super sorry that I haven't posted in a while!!!!!!! Thank you to everyone that reviewed my previous chapters! Enjoy!**

_Previous chapter: Rose surprised me. She gave me a hug, very brief, but, still, for Rose, that really meant a lot. Jasper surprised me even more than Rose did._

"You okay, Bella?" he asked, coming over to me and giving me a hug. He backed up and smiled. I floundered around in my head, trying to remember how to shut my gaping mouth. Emmett stood behind Jasper, trying not to burst out laughing. Jasper was looking quite smugly at Edward, who was standing behind me, shooting daggers into Jasper's head. Carlisle and Esme looked floored.

"Um, yeah, I guess. Thanks," I stammered.

"Okay, enough trauma. Bella, you're coming with me. We need to find you outfits to go with your cast. Why blue?" Alice dragged me up to her and Jasper's room and sat me down on their couch. She disappeared into her oversized closet.

All I saw was a storm of clothing flying out of the depths of the closet. When she emerged, she made me start trying all of it on. Halfway through her rampage, my stomach growled so loud I could hear Emmett laughing downstairs. I blushed and shrugged out of the blue skirt that was the exact shade of my cast.

I pulled on my own clothes and made my way around the mountains of clothes, somehow getting out before Alice could get me. Amazingly, I heard no protest from behind me as I made my way down to the kitchen.

I walked into the kitchen where Esme was tidying up. I grabbed a piece of the lasagna Esme had made for me 2 nights ago and stuck it in the microwave. I pulled it out, and, after pouring myself a glass of milk, I went into the living room where Jasper and Emmett were playing a racing game and Rose was watching, looking bored out of her mind.

The lasagna was really good. I finished it up just in time to duck out of the way of the controller that had just been in Emmett's hand as the controller flew towards the TV screen. Unfortunately, I ducked directly into my sauce-covered plate. Sitting up, I looked down and saw that my green shirt was now covered in spaghetti sauce. I groaned and stood up to put my plate in the kitchen. Emmett looked at me sheepishly as I glared at him. Jasper sat next to Emmett, howling with laughter.

I stomped to the kitchen and scrubbed my plate as angry tears ran down my face. When I finished that, I tried to get as much of the sauce off my shirt as I could. Aggravated, I soon gave up. I went to Alice's room and grabbed a shirt at random. I switched shirts and stomped down to their washer and dryer. Unfortunately, they were both in mid-cycle, so my shirt would have to wait. I stuck it on top of the washer and went up to Edward's room. Without knocking, I opened the door and walked in. Edward quickly hid whatever it was that he was working on and opened his arms for a hug. I climbed into his lap, allowing my troubles to wash away with the rain that was still pouring outside. Edward quietly hummed my lullaby as I studied the picture next to his bed- it was one that looked like it had been taken 50 years ago. It showed the Cullens all happily together. I realized, with a little bit of shock, that Edward didn't have a single picture of the two of us together. I'd have to find one.

Something randomly dawned on me. Charlie. I'd promised him that I'd make him something special tonight to make up for not being around to cook dinner recently.

"Crap," I groaned, rolling off Edward's lap. "I gotta get home." He looked at me, clearly confused. "I promised Charlie I'd be home for dinner." I started towards the door. Edward surprised me by coming up behind me and hugging me around the waist. Damn, he can be really quiet.

"Goodbye, Love," he whispered, kissing my cheek softly. My heart still had a very audible reaction, and Edward chuckled quietly, slipping back into his room.

I took the stairs at a moderate pace, yelling goodbyes as I went.

"Bella!" I heard Alice call. "You-" I missed the end of her thought as the door shut behind me.


	6. Eragon

**A/N: I'm sooooo sorry it took me this long to update! Enjoy and please R&R!**

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Twilight in any way, shape, or form. That's why I'm writing fanfictions.

I drove home as fast as my whining truck would let me, thinking through recipes that I already had the ingredients for that Charlie would find special. By the time I got home, I'd narrowed it down to two options: ziti or chicken parmesan.

Bursting into the house, an unexpected scent hit my nose: spaghetti sauce and cheese. What was Charlie making? The answer? Nothing. He'd ordered pizza, just like he'd been doing for the past week.

Charlie looked up when I knocked lightly on the doorframe. He looked at me sheepishly, swallowing the pizza in his mouth before answering the questions written all over my face.

"Sorry, Bells, I didn't know when you were going to be home, and-," I cut him off.

"It's fine, Dad we can have your special diner tomorrow." I grabbed a slice of pizza and sat down across from him. We ate in silence for a few minutes, and then Charlie stood up.

"I'm going to watch the game. Don't save the extra pizza, we never eat it." With that, he went into the other room and turned on the TV. I got up, cleaned my plate, and shoved the nearly-empty pizza box in the garbage. I went up to my room and found Edward flipping through one of my books.

"Since when are you into medieval books?" he asked, holding up the thick book in his hands. I blushed as the blue dragon on the cover of Eragon stared at me.

"I'm not," I mumbled, staring at my feet. "Ben suggested it to me, so I read I, that's all." He looked like he was going to burst out laughing as I snatched the book out of his hands and slammed it on the desk as I sat down. I turned on my new computer, Edward had insisted on me getting rid of the old one and getting me a laptop instead, and checked my e-mail. Nothing. Shutting the top, I went and sat next to Edward. It was getting dark out, and the only sounds were the rain and the game on TV.

We sat, Edward playing with my hair, me practically falling asleep, until the constant sound from the game cut off and we heard Charlie start up the stairs. I quickly went over and started flipping through my e-mail as Edward disappeared.

Charlie opened my door and poked his head in.

"I'm turning in, Bells. Don't stay up too late. G'nite," he said, sounding like he was already asleep.

"'Kay, Dad. See you in the morning," I answered, sounding tired myself. After he left, I shut off my computer, grabbed my pajamas and bathroom stuff, and headed to take a shower. Thank goodness I already had experience bathing with a cast, so this time it was not an issue.

After my shower, I padded back to Edward where he sat on my bed. I climbed back into his lap and soon fell asleep.

When I woke up, Charlie was gone and Edward was sitting next to me reading Eragon. As I rolled over, he dropped the book to the floor and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Good morning, Love," he said, kissing my neck. I sat up.

"I need a human minute," I yawned, getting up and stretching my legs. I grabbed jeans, a t-shirt, and a brush. I changed and then tackled the knot that was my hair. When I looked semi-presentable, I went back to my room.

"So, are we going to your house today?" He glanced up and smiled.

"Sure," he replied, getting up and coming over and, literally, sweeping me off my feet. He carried me down the stairs, out the door, and put me on the passenger seat of my ancient Chevy. I began to protest, but after he lightly pressed his lips to mine, all my complaints disappeared.

He eased my truck out of the driveway and down the road. When he finally pulled into his long driveway, it started to drizzle. After parking, he came over to my side of the car, took off hi coat, and put it around me. Looking down, I realized that I had forgotten to put on a jacket this morning.

I inhaled his sweet scent as we walked into his beautiful home. Being back here made me remember last night. I went to check on my shirt and see if I might be able to somehow save it.

I walked to the washer and dryer and stopped short. My shirt was sitting on top of the dryer, stain-free, with a scrap of paper on top that said _"Bella"_ in perfect script that could've been anyone of their handwriting.

I picked the shirt up and pocketed the paper. Huh.

**A/N: Okay, hope you liked it. Thanks to all who have reviewed! By the way, Alice was about to say that Bella forgot her shirt. It was cleaned by her Secret Santa, but, remember, Alice has someone whose name starts with an "E". If you have any guesses as to who has who, let me know. It won't always be the most obvious choice.**


	7. Author's Note 2

**Hey I'm really, really, really, really sorry that I haven't updated in forever, but I've been really busy, and I know that's a lame excuse, so I'm going to get straight to the point. I've lost my spark for this story, and I've hit really bad writer's block, and I can't think to continue the story for now. I PROMISE that I will finish the story, but, for now, I'm putting this one on temporary hold. I am working on another story which I hope to post soon. Thanks for all of your continued support, and thank you all for all the wonderful reviews. They make me soooooooo happy. I'm sure you all hate me, but, I am really, really stuck. If you pm or review, I can send you a little bit of the beginning of the next chapter, which I'd started. I'm soooooooo sorry, and I promise that there will be an end to this story.**

**Peace and Love,**

**Bearhug2 : )**


	8. Baseball!

**A/N: Okay, I've been a really bad author, and I haven't replied to all you wonderful readers who faithfully stuck with me (you know who you are, and I love you) I am not out of my horrible writer's block, but I decided to post the part of the chapter that I have so that everyone can read it, and (hopefully) be happy. Enjoy my lovelies!**

BPOV

I shrugged it off, thinking that Esme had just added it in with her normal wash. Heading back to the living room, I heard Emmett boom, "YES!!!!!!!!" I cringed and rubbed my ears as the paintings on the walls on either side of me shook.

I walked into the Cullen's living room and laughed. Emmett was grinning from ear to ear, Alice was bouncing, Jasper looked excited, Rose looked pretty excited, and Edward was smiling... well... he was until he saw me.

"Um, what's going on?" I asked, looking around the room.

"Baseball!!!!!" Emmett squealed. I walked over to Edward where he sat on the couch, frowning slightly. I touched his forehead which was creased from his frown.

"You're not happy. It's my fault, isn't it?" His frown deepened.

"No, of course not, Love. It's just that...," he sighed. "Any time you play baseball with my family..., I bring you home damaged." I blushed as memories of previous games flooded forward. I'd come home with every thing from band-aids to 7 stitches. Yeah, that one was a fun one to try to explain to Charlie.

"Well, it's not your fault. I'm the clumsy one," I mumbled. He pulled me into a tight hug.

"Play baseball," I said into his neck. "Have fun." He sighed. I turned myself to face his eager family.

"So... when are we leaving?" I asked. Alice grinned.

"Five minutes," she answered. I turned back to Edward

"May I borrow your cell phone?" I asked. He looked at me, puzzled. "I need to call Charlie and let him know." He handed me the small silver phone, and I dialed the oh-so familiar number to my house.

Charlie didn't pick up, so I figured that he was still out fishing with Billy.

"Hey, Dad, it's me. Just wanted to let you know that I'll be going with the Cullens to play baseball. I promise that I will be home in time to cook dinner. See ya later. Love you. Bye." Hanging up the phone, I walked back to Edward, who was now wearing his baseball uniform, holding a heavier jacket and an umbrella.

"Are we expecting rain?" I asked as he helped me into the coat. He chuckled.

"Possibly. Just being cautious," he explained. We went out to the garage with the rest of the Cullens. Edward helped me into the safety harness in the Jeep and then sat next to me. Emmett and Rosalie rode in the front, and Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Alice were going to run.

They took off, and we were right behind them. Quickly, though, I lost sight of them as they disappeared with speed. I looked out the window at the now-familiar terrain whizzing by us.

Of course, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Jasper were already there practicing when we got there. Edward helped me out of the safety harness and then out of the car. Walking over, I ducked to miss being hit by the bat Emmett was carelessly swinging around.

I sat on the rock that had become my spot over the past few weeks. The teams were Carlisle, Alice, and Emmett against Jasper, Rose, and Edward, with Esme and me as referees.

Emmett was up first. He had a huge grin on his face as he stepped up to bat. Alice pitched as Edward tensed, ready to run after the speeding ball. But Emmett missed, nearly toppling over as the inertia of the bat flung him around.

On the second pitch, he hit the ball with an ear-shattering _crack_. He took off around the bases, but before he could reach second base, Edward came running out of the woods holding the ball above his head, smiling triumphantly.

"Out," Esme called. Pouting, Emmett crossed the field towards home.

The game finally ended 2 ½ hours later, with a score of 5-4, Edward's team. It had started raining 10 minutes into the game, rendering my referee skills useless. I was grateful for the umbrella and coat. All the Cullens, except for Esme, were covered in mud.

Esme, Carlisle, Rose, and Jasper had decided to go hunting after changing quickly, so they took off a minute before Emmett, Edward, Alice and I did. When we got back to the house, the three of them went and changed. I pulled off the wet coat and hung it on the coat hanger by the door. They dropped their clothes in the basket in front of the washer where the others' clothes were. Emmett challenged Edward to a game on the TV, and Alice went to shower, leaving me alone. Then, a thought dawned on me.

I could do the load for Esme. She was my Secret Santa, after all. It was perfect. As quietly as I could, I pulled the load out of the dryer and put it in a clean basket. Then, I heard the shower start and the TV begin blaring. I pulled the wet load out of the washer and shoved it in the dryer, and stuck the muddy baseball uniforms in the washer. Starting the washer and dryer, I picked up the basket and walked to the living room. Sitting on a couch out of Edward and Emmett's line of vision, I began to fold the laundry. Ten minutes later, I was done.

I picked up the clothes and deposited them to the correct rooms. I then went back down and sat next to Edward on the couch. Alice joined us a minute later.

**A/N: So, there it is! I hope it didn't end in too weird of a place. Again, I'm really sorry for not answering everyone's messages; I don't have a good excuse.**

**Please, please, please review!!!! That little button is just soooooo tempting... push it...**

**Also, if you have any ideas you think I should or could incorporate, just let me know! I am always open for ideas!**


	9. A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

**A/N: Okay, so I really hope that you guys don't hate me because I haven't written anything since April, but I decided to wait until we got a little closer to the holidays to see if I could write better. I am going to do my best, but I'm not entirely sure how this chapter will turn out, because I lost the notebook that I had all my ideas written down in. But, anyways, enjoy!**

After Edward had beat Emmett 10 times in an incredibly intense game of Wii Boxing, I decided that it was time to head home. Picking up my keys and my coat, I headed for the door.

"Okay," I called, "I'm off." Edward stopped his victory dance to come kiss me goodbye. A sulking Emmett and a freshly-showered Alice came and gave me hugs before I left. I drove home quickly so that I had time to cook tonight. Thankfully, Charlie was preoccupied with a game, so he hadn't thought about food yet. I started making chicken parmesan, one of his favorites.

Very quickly, the delicious smell of pasta sauce, chicken, and parmesan cheese wafted through the house. I also started some garlic bread to go along with the chicken. Soon, Charlie ventured in. He stood there, looking very surprised.

"What?" I said.

"I wasn't expecting you home for a while…and what is that delicious smell?" I smiled.

"Guess," I smiled. Eyeing the finished garlic bread and the timer on the stove, he answered hungrily.

"Pasta?" he asked.

"Nope, chicken parmesan." He smiled, happily. "It'll be just a few minutes." He lumbered back into the den to watch a little bit more of the game before dinner was ready. I set out two plates, cups, forks, and knives while I waited for dinner to be done.

Finally, the timer on the stove reached zero. I called to Charlie to let him know that it was time to eat. Dinner was pretty quiet, only a few remarks were made about different things; one of them being that I planned to stay over the Cullens' for the next few days, mostly so I could participate in their Secret Santa.

After we finished, Charlie volunteered to do the dishes because I had made dinner. I looked at the homework that had been assigned for Christmas break. Forks always had the entire week before Christmas off, and because Christmas was on a Saturday, we got all of this week with no school.

I started on an essay that was assigned, but soon tired of just sitting and looking up facts about the relationship between some vaccines and autism. So I decided to just head to bed early. I sighed, knowing that Edward hadn't anticipated coming over for at least another hour. I took my time showering, shaving my legs to kill time before Edward came. I had to be really careful of my cast, though, being sure not to get it wet. After putting on a t-shirt and sweatpants, I headed to my room. I decided to read while I waited for Edward.

I soon felt myself falling asleep. Just before sleep overtook me, I felt the book slide out of my hands, and two chilly arms wrap around me.

I woke up to icy lips pressed to my cheek. I smiled, rolling over to see Edward's green eyes staring back into my own.

"G'mornin," I mumbled, pulling myself closer to him. He ruffled my already messy hair. He tried to get up, but I clung to his shirt, not willing to get up yet. He chuckled, but complied; lying back down beside me. I snuggled up closer to him, relishing in the peacefulness.

Finally, I got up and got dressed. After realizing how difficult it was to put on something as simple at a t-shirt, I decided to go with a button down shirt over a tank top, seeing as it would be the easiest thing to put on. I less-than-gracefully stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Grabbing the Cheerios, I yawned. I poured myself a bowl and sat down at the table. Always the gentleman, Edward stood behind me and gave me the most amazing back rub ever. When I finished, I washed out the bowl, put it away, and grabbed my coat. Edward and I went out and got into his car. We quietly drove to his house. When we got there, I was less-than-pleasantly surprised that it had started to snow.

Grimacing, I got out of the car and walked towards the door. Before I had a chance to open the door, it was flung open and Alice was standing there, hands on her hips. I rolled my eyes and said hi to her. Grabbing my arm, she started dragging me back out to the cars.

"Edward! Help!" I cried. He quickly came over and blocked Alice's way to her car. They had a silent conversation that resulted in Alice releasing my arm. I turned to Edward.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

"She wanted to take you shopping, and she thought by not telling you what she was doing, you would go with less of a fight," he explained. I scoffed. Sure, silently kidnapping me would bring much less of a fight that telling me.

"Hi, Alice. Nice to see you, too," I said. She cracked a smile, following us inside. I laughed as I walked into the Cullens' large living room. Next to the fireplace was an absolutely gigantic tree, covered in lights, beads, and ornaments, all topped off with a large, lit star. Under the tree, there was already a plethora of wrapped presents in all sizes, every bow and ribbon perfectly color coordinated.

Emmett and Jasper were playing some sort of carnage-filled video game; every few seconds, one would shout, either losing someone, or hitting their target. Rose and Esme were nowhere to be found, and Alice danced off to sit next to Jasper. Carlisle was working at the hospital as usual. I wondered if he would be home on Christmas, or if he would have to work then, too.

I wandered into the kitchen, and I found Esme stirring something. When I went over, I smelled that she was making gingerbread cookies. She smiled.

"How am I doing? I've never made cookies before," she asked, looking worried. I dipped my finger into the bowl, pulling a small dollop out on my finger. Sticking my finger in my mouth, I smiled. She had gotten the dough exactly right.

"It's perfect," I said. She sighed in relief. We spent the next five minutes shaping out 8 little gingerbread people, one for each member of the family. After sticking them in the oven to cook, we went to see what the others were doing.

Edward had joined Emmett and Jasper, and Rose had joined Alice, and they were currently looking through a magazine. I had to figure out what to do for Esme today. I meandered upstairs, meaning to go to Edward's room, but something caught my eye. It was a picture, obviously very old, of the family. But, they were missing people. Alice and Jasper were not in this picture. Getting an idea, I headed to Edward's room. Flipping open the laptop on his bed, I went into the file of pictures. Scanning through them, I saw one that caught my eye. It was one of everyone that had been taken when we went to the Renaissance Fair last year. I giggled, now knowing what I was going to do fir Esme: I was going to get this picture framed for her. I went to the website for Wal-Mart; there was one nearby. I sent the picture over, 1 hour printing. Deleting the history so that Edward wouldn't know what I was up to, I shut the laptop.

I went back downstairs as I heard the timer for the cookies go off. The delicious smell of gingerbread wafted up the stairs. I hurried down, and got to the kitchen just as Esme took the cookies out of the oven. They were the picture of cookie perfection. I set them on a drying rack, and impatiently waited for them to cool so that we could decorate them.

While we waited, Esme asked me about what I was doing for Christmas. I realized that I didn't really have plans other than opening presents with Charlie. She invited both Charlie and I over for Christmas morning, to open presents and spend the holiday with their family. I graciously accepted, happy to actually have something to do on Christmas.

Finally, the cookies were cool enough to decorate. We turned each cookie into a mini Cullen. Carlisle had yellow hair, a blue tie, and green buttons, Esme had brown hair and a purple skirt. Alice had black hair and a yellow skirt, Jasper had yellow hair and blue pants. Rose had yellow hair and a red skirt, Emmett had brown hair and green pants. I had brown hair, brown eyes, and a blue skirt, Edward had brown hair and orange pants, just because I knew he would never be caught dead in orange pants. We mixed brown and yellow icing together to get a weird mix that sort of resembled the unique amber color of their eyes. We laughed when we were finished. After taking a picture so that we could remember our cookie family even after they were eaten, Esme and I brought the tray of cookies out so that people could see them.

Alice fell over the instant she saw them, and Rose was not far behind. Emmett picked himself up to examine. Jasper sat there, looking absolutely confused, and Edward merely shook his head.

"Um, Bella?" Jasper asked. "What are those?"

"Gingerbread cookies!" I exclaimed proudly. I held him up. "See? It's you!" he started laughing and I handed his cookie to him.

"Bella? Please explain to me WHY I am I orange pants?" Edward had come over and picked up the cookie Edward. I smiled my innocent smile and kissed his cheek.

"Because I know how much you love orange. Besides, don't think I haven't seen those orange pants in your closet," I teased, barely containing my laughter. When I looked around at the mixture of shock and confusion on everyone's faces, I burst out laughing. Seeing that I wasn't serious, Alice began laughing too. Soon, everyone, except Edward, was laughing. I kissed him and looked into his eyes, asking for forgiveness. He smiled, and I knew I was forgiven.

"Okay, I have to go out for a little while; I'll be back later," I said as I went to get my coat and keys. Then I realized that I hadn't driven over in my truck, Edward had driven. Turning and using my best puppy dog eyes, I looked at Edward.

"Can I please borrow your car? I'll be very, very careful," I pleaded. He sighed, nodding and throwing me the keys to his precious Volvo. Yelling my thanks, I sped out to his car. I slid into the driver's seat and started the car. I pulled out of the Cullens' driveway and started my drive to Wal-Mart.

When I finally arrived, I went straight to the photo center. I told them my name, and they went and got a rather large envelope. Pulling out the print, I was thrilled with how it turned out. Esme was going to love it. I paid and then set out to look for a frame.

I nearly fell over laughing when I came across one frame. It had one line at the bottom- "My family is weirder than yours." It was perfect; it was even the right size. I went to the front and paid for the frame.

I went out to the Volvo and prepared my gift. I took out the frame and the picture. Opening the frame, I slid the picture in. After fastening on the back, I flipped it over. Perfect. She was going to love this. I opened the trunk and put it in. I made sure that it wouldn't move around before getting back into the car. On the drive back, I thought about how I would get this inside without anyone noticing.

By the time I had gotten to the Cullens' house, I still didn't know what I was going to do. I got the picture out of the trunk, and went around to the back of the house. As quietly as possible, I slid open the door. After, tip-toeing into the house, I brought the framed picture up to Esme and Carlisle's room. I slowly opened the door, crossing my fingers that there wasn't anyone in there. Thankfully, no one was. I carefully set the picture on the large desk. On a sticky note, I wrote "Esme", and stuck it to the edge of the frame.

I snuck out and went downstairs to join everyone else. As I plopped myself down on the couch, I grabbed the Edward gingerbread cookie and bit off the head. Edward looked at me, shocked.

"You just ate my head!" he exclaimed. I nodded and smiled, holding up the headless cookie. To emphasize my point, I bit off one of the arms. It was one of the best gingerbread cookies I had ever eaten. I watched Rose beat Alice in Wii Bowling, ducking every once in a while as an arm flailed back. I noticed that the guys had disappeared and that Carlisle was home from work. I finished my cookie and excused myself to the bathroom.

After I finished in there, I walked back into the living room. To my surprise, the only person left in there was Edward at his piano. As I went over to him, I could hear him mumbling.

"I only left for five minutes…" he was saying. I sat down on the bench with him, gasping slightly when I saw what he was looking at. It was three pictures, set in a intricately carved wooden frame. The top one was one that I didn't know was even taken- it showed me and Edward outside, sitting on the ground, laughing. It was a beautiful picture. Then, one of the bottom two made me laugh. It was of me when I was a baby- I had on Charlie's shoes, a pair of aviators, his police hat, and a diaper. Nothing else; just the hat, shoes, sunglasses, and diaper. The last one shocked me- it was Edward when he was a baby, he had the same mussed up hair, and even though the picture was black and white, I could tell that he had piercing green eyes. He was sitting in a high chair, covered in chocolate cake. I giggled. Edward looked at me and smiled.

Whoever his Secret Santa was, they clearly had done some serious digging. It was beautiful. I watched at Edward gingerly picked it up and placed it on the mantle. He stepped back and just looked at it. Then, Alice came bounding down the stairs, looking very happy.

"Look what I just found!" she exclaimed. She held out a framed picture. It showed the family, standing in the garage. Edward was looking incredibly annoyed, standing next to a tall stack of boxes. Alice looked very excited, holding the hand of Jasper, who looked incredibly apprehensive. The rest of the family looked both confused and shocked. The frame was glass; the two ends were blue, the top and bottom were yellow, and the corners were green. She went to set it on the mantle when she noticed Edward's picture. She started laughing as she set hers next to it.

"Edward, where in the world did you get this?" she looked at him, still laughing.

"My Secret Santa," he replied coolly as Rose came bursting through the door, holding something to her chest.

She looked touched, like whatever was in her arms was very meaningful. She held it out to show us. It was yet another framed picture. Man, today seemed to be the day that everyone was giving pictures.

Her picture was of her and Emmett when he had just joined the family. They were sitting on the couch, a small distance apart. They were looking at each other with identical looks that said "I like you, but I don't know if you like me". The frame was perfect. It was wooden and had their names carved in it. It also had a quote carved in it- "I not only love you for who you are, but for what I am when I am with you". She sat it on the mantle next to the others, and looked at Edward and Alice's pictures. She smiled as she looked at them. Jasper came in next, with yet another framed picture. It was a picture of him and Alice when they had just found the Cullens. They were sitting in a tree, smiling brightly while holding hands, legs dangling down. It was framed in a simple carved wooden frame, but it worked perfectly for the picture.

I decided to see if there was a pattern. I went up to Edward's room. Sure enough, there was something there with a scrap of paper that said "Bella". I picked up the immense object, and found out that it was a photo frame collage. There were 12 pictures from various times and places. There was everything from the 6 of us last year on Halloween to Edward and me at prom. It brought tears to my eyes as I looked at each picture, remembering when it was taken.

I carried the collage downstairs to put with the others. Once I was down there, I saw that Esme had found her picture; it was on the mantle and everyone was doubled over laughing. I acted innocent, like I didn't know what it was. Then, I put up mine. Everyone came over to look at the many pictures, commenting on one and laughing at they remembered that day.

We looked up as Carlisle came into view. He looked as though if he was human, he would be crying. He set the frame on the mantle and went over to Esme. She went up to the frame, along with the rest of us. It was a picture of the two of them at Esme's favorite house, sitting on a tree swing by a lake at sunset. The picture was taken from behind, so it is their silhouettes. The frame had a beautiful poem about love.

We stood there, cherishing the happy moment. That is, until Emmett came bounding into the room. He was waving something blue and rectangular above his head. He put it on the mantle, bursting with laughter. It was a picture of him and Rose, obviously taken in the 70's. They were both in full disco garb, dancing. The frame said, "Remember…as far as anyone knows…we're a nice, normal family". We all fell to the ground laughing after we looked at that. Rose, however, turned to looked at everyone.

"Okay," she yelled, "who did this?"

**A/N: Holy crap! 11 pages!!!!! This is the longest chapter I've ever written!!! So, I hoped you liked it; this chapter wasn't at all planned, it just popped into my head today, so I had to write it down. **

**Please, please, please review!!!!! Your reviews make my day so much brighter!**

**Also, I have a poll up on my profile that I would very much appreciate if you voted on! Thank you in advance!!! :)  
**


	10. Please Read

Readers-

I'm sorry to say this, but I have completely lost my spark for this story, and I don't know if I'll ever find it again. Because of this, I am stopping writing this story, and may eventually take it down. I thank those of you whom have read, or even browsed, this story, and I thank everyone for their encouraging words and kind reviews. I will probably eventually write fanfic again, but, as I am going into my senior year of high school, life is plenty busy right now. I'm really sorry to those of you who have been reading since the story started, those who have stuck around even when I didn't write for a long time, and to those of you who may have just found this fanfic and may have even liked it. If you would like me to, I am more than willing to post who had whom for secret santas. Again, I'm really sorry, but I don't want you guys waiting with false hope for a new chapter that I don't think will ever come. Thank you to everyone.

Love,

Mommy's Little Broadway Star


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